BreakOut West Announces 2016 Western Canadian Music and Industry Award Nominees

May 3, 2016, Regina, SK: The Western Canadian Music Alliance is excited to reveal the nominees for the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards, announced this morning at a press conference at Casino Regina. Member voting for the awards begins officially at 12:00pm MDT today, and sales for the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards launch now!

Leading the diverse group of artists and industry represented are Aidan Knight, and the duo of Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick, with three nominations each in this year's newly revised category list. Knight's recent music video also gets a nod in the Video Director category. Brett Kissel, Corb Lund, David Morin, George Canyon, Le Destin du Jazz-Club!, Library Voices, We Are The City, William Prince and Yukon Blonde have also drawn solid recognition with two nominations each in the artistic categories, with Kissel's recording also nominated for an Industry Award in Audio Engineering. In the industry categories, producer Russell Broom, and venue The West End Cultural Centre make double appearances. This year's nominee list also shows major growth for the western Canadian music industry, as many names are appearing for the first time in 2016, showing the vibrancy of these rising talents. For a full list of categories and all 2016 nominees, visit www.breakoutwest.ca.

Changing things up from the norm, the 14th annual Western Canadian Music Awards Show will be hosted on Thursday, October 13th at Casino Regina, kicking off BreakOut West 2016 in a new format with a concert-style show, focused more on music than speeches. Venue sponsors SaskGaming / Casino Regina help usher in this updated event, while out of town attendees of BreakOut West will be welcomed by the Double Tree by Hilton, the official host hotel. SaskMusic, Creative Saskatchewan, Tourism Saskatchewan, City of Regina, Tourism Regina, and the Regina Hotel Association have all taken part in bringing the annual festival, conference and Western Canadian Music Awards back to Saskatchewan's capital, which last hosted the event in 2012. The first Western Canadian Music Awards was also hosted in Regina in 2003.

"We're pleased to play a role in bringing the fun and excitement of BreakOut West to Regina as the venue sponsor of the 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards," Minister Responsible for SaskGaming Nancy Heppner says. "We're looking forward to hosting the industry and artists in our world-class Show Lounge in October. I offer my congratulations to all the nominees and wish them good luck!"

Music Industry Association member voting opens today May 3 at 12:00pm MDT and runs through May 17. All members of the 6 partner Music Industry Associations (Manitoba Music, SaskMusic, Alberta Music, MusicBC, MusicYukon, or MusicNWT) are encouraged to vote for their favorite nominee in each category. Link and password for voting will be arriving in all member email boxes today. Winners are determined through a combination of member votes and a juried process.

2016 Western Canadian Music Awards Nominees:

Aboriginal Artist of the Year

David Morin (BC)

Digawolf (NT)

Don Amero (MB)

Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick (MB)

William Prince (MB)

Blues Artist of the Year

David Gogo (BC)

David Vest (BC)

Debra Power (AB)

Harpdog Brown & The Travelin' Blues Show (BC)

Romi Mayes (MB)

BreakOut Artist of the Year

Aidan Knight (BC)

Brett Kissel (AB)

Michael Bernard Fitzgerald (AB)

The Bros. Landreth (MB)

We Are The City (BC)

Children's Artist of the Year, presented by SaskTel

Bobs & LoLo (BC)

Hilary Grist (BC)

Nadia Gaudet & Jason Burnstick (MB)

Raffi (BC)

The Kerplunks (BC)

Classical Artist/Ensemble of the Year, presented by Canadian Music Centre

John Arcand is a Saskatchewan-born musician who has performed, taught, promoted and preserved the traditions of Métis fiddle and dance. His unique sound, which builds on a long family tradition of fiddle and dance, is considered essential to the identity and recognition of Métis culture. During his career spanning more than 60 years, he created over 370 tunes and produced 16 recordings. In 1998, he founded the John Arcand Fiddle Fest - a major annual fiddle event in Western Canada. Arcand has received numerous awards for his work, including the Order of Canada, a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board Lifetime Achievement Award. John is also active as judge at fiddle contests, instructor at fiddle camps, and has a growing list of private students. He and his wife travel extensively each year promoting the Métis culture through workshops and performances in schools and communities across the country. John is an avid collector of fiddles, and a qualified Luthier whose original instruments are much sought after. He also offers repairs and can provide appraisals.

Derek Bachman was an extremely involved and dedicated member of the Canadian music industry for nearly 20 years, and worked on several of the largest events in Saskatchewan, for Live Nation Canada and Union Events among others. He served as a director on numerous boards, and was instrumental in the success and development of SaskMusic, the Western Canadian Music Awards, Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, the 2007 JUNO Awards and the 2012 Canadian Country Music Week Host Committee. Derek was also a partner in Rawk Entertainment Inc., with his production credits on local, national and international events including JunoFest 2007/2013, Western Canadian Music Awards Festival 2007/2012, and 2013 Canadian Country Music Week. Derek was also responsible for export and professional development for Saskatchewan musicians and industry members, both nationally and internationally. Tragically Derek's life was cut short, but the foundation he built in his home province of Saskatchewan and throughout Canada thrives, building on the foundation he set in place.

About BreakOut West:

BreakOut West is an annual gathering to celebrate, develop and support the best of western Canadian music. Western Canadian artists are developing sustainable careers of national and international scope, and BreakOut West is an integral component of this development. Through the annual conference and festival, industry from around the world and western Canadian artists are given the opportunity to discover, educate, network and grow. The weekend kicks off with the Western Canadian Music Awards, showcasing the talent contained in the "left half" of Canada. For more information visit breakoutwest.ca, and use hashtag #BOW2016 when tweeting about BreakOut West and join in the conversation!

Please contact Joelle May for all press requests, interviews, event accreditation and more information.